Darker Waters
by sakume
Summary: Link is a pirate; a cold, cruel killer of the sea. Suddenly, an encounter with a passenger he doesn't want brings him to face things he'd rather forget . How do you follow what you think your heart wants when you could be killed for it? LinkxZelda (Rewrite of Dark Waters)
1. Song of the Stars

So. I was reading through this trilogy here. And I decided to give it a little rehaul to try some different ideas. For those of you new to this trilogy, I urge you not to read the one already available. It is many years old. The only reason I am not deleting it is because I'd rather not delete what others have favorited. Those of you who liked it already, you're in for a treat. Not only am I revamping the story, I'm revamping the content. Things will not be quite the same.

For reference sake: Sheik and Tetra, etc are all separate entities.

As always, enjoy and leave a review if you liked. ~Sakume

The smell of the sea's salty air entered the room through the portside window, cool and clean. He inhaled deeply; the aroma soothed his aching soul. This moment was one of those few times when he treasured the gift of being alone with his thoughts. It was often difficult to find a moment to yourself when you were on such a crowded vessel in the middle of the sea for days, weeks on end. He intended to lavish every moment of the rare opportunity.

At least, such was his intention, until he was interrupted by a deep, yet hesitant voice. "Excuse me, Captain. We have some news." The man did not move, his anger building.

The first mate shifted closer to his captain. It was only moments before a vase was thrown full throttle at the pirate. He ducked at the last moment, barely dodging the shards that flew apart as it smashed on the wall. The captain kept his back turned from the first mate, voice dripping in murderous intent, dark and brooding.

"I said I wanted to be left alone! What part of that did you not understand!" he yelled, his voice increasing in volume. The first mate grimaced and replied.

"I apologize, Captain. I just thought you should know we're coming up on something." He retreated up the stairs; leaving the captain to his quarters and to debate the next course of action alone. The man smirked to himself in a grim satisfaction. A new target was coming up, eh? A new target for his ship, The White Wolfos. No one could ever escape his ship. It was the symbol of death, for everyone in its path. Soon, these people would know it, too.

He winced at the title he had been assigned in displeasure. "Captain Link." What a terrible sounding title. Just plain "Captain" would do fine. He did not like to hear his name with that title affixed…not since it reminded him of things he'd much rather forget. He sighed. Best to ignore whatever he still remembered of the years past... it was best to focus on the here and now. He was the youngest ever to become a captain of this ship…yet it was worth every sacrifice. No one dared oppose his rule. The last one who had challenged him had lost his footing on board and lost himself to the open wasteland of the sea. As would any other who dared to repeat the challenge.

Without thinking, he glanced into the mirror before he left his room. The reflection that stared back was so…dreary, so dark and desolate in every sense of the word.

It was perfect.

Both ears were pierced with small, silver hoop earrings. Dirty blonde hair stuck out unevenly underneath his faded rumpled, feathered crimson hat. The simple tunic that he donned was also dingy and banged up, torn in many places and crimson as the hat he wore, though perhaps not purposefully. His teeth were slightly yellow, his eyes void of any emotion, cold and cruel as the sea itself. He was Captain Link, the ruler of the seas.

No, no, just Captain. Definitely just Captain.

No one could tell him what to do any more than they could tell him what he would be called. He wandered where he wished; doing as he pleased. He was commander of three ships: The White Wolfos, The Dead Hand, and The Redead. He was most fond of The White Wolfos, for good reason. His present, his riches, all had come to be because of this ship. It was simply bad form (and bad luck) to leave such a beauty without thanking her somehow, and so he stayed aboard this one, always. Yes, he decided as he sighed and turned away from the mirror, the time had come. The next victim to the White Wolfos would soon fall.

As he swung open the ship's door, all his crew saluted smartly. He nodded to them and walked over to his first mate. "Sheik. What's the news?" the name rolled off his tongue with a spark of bitterness clinging to it, still frustrated from being disturbed earlier.

The man wearing an eyepatch and bandaging over his skin handed the captain a telescope. "Twenty degrees west." He accepted the offering cautiously and peered through at the bearings he was given, face set in a grim determination. At first, he saw nothing. Finally; oozing from the fog like blood from a wound, a ship appeared out of the misty dawn. He leaned back and whistled, returning the telescope to its owner. "Well?" Sheik asked, expecting a response. His captain looked relatively pleased, a rare sight for the crew.

"A Merchant Ship!" Link exclaimed, whistling again, though this time to himself, and softer. "It should have some nice goods on it. Let's go!" His smile curved into a greedy grin, a faint sense of pleasure filling his mind like a strange heady haze. More plunder for him.

Sheik turned to the rest of the crew standing about the deck, watching and waiting for orders while silence hung in the air tight as the ropes holding the sails. "Alright, you heard the captain! Let's get this heap of wood turned about! We're going in for a kill, mates!" With a booming cheer, the ship instantly sprang to life. Members of the crew moved to let sails down; unfurling the taut ropes that tied them down; and attended to the helm to steer them in the right direction. Link slunk away from the action, toward the bow, watching the ship in the distance, a smile as cocky as a peacock's feathers unfurling on his demented face. They were getting closer already. No one would sleep. It was forbidden to sleep when they were coming up on a ship. The crew knew this, and they obediently stayed awake throughout the whole night; watching and waiting for the right moment to strike.

Hours later, it was finally daybreak; they were only a few meters away, people swarming on the decks like ants to their retrospective colonies. As the merchant ship fired it cannons; Link laughed hoarsely, splintering wood deaf to his ears. It was futile to try and stop him. His predictions were pinpoint, and soon they were ready to take the ship for their own. When they got close enough, they boarded the ship by rope and planks, smooth and fluid as a river overtaking dirt. Link yelled back to his crew, a sadistic grin on his face. "Let's get them, mates! Take no prisoners! Leave nothing alive!"

One newer pirate, a man who'd been shanghied in the last plundering visit they'd made to a ship, turned to Link with a stunned expression. "But, captain, what about the woman and children?" he found himself grabbed by the collar and pulled into Link's face, to stare into the cold, deadest eyes.

"I said," he growled, "Take no prisoners." The crew member (whose name was Garth) scurried away on all fours.

"As you wish captain…" bloodcurdling screams filled the crisp air; conquering laughs and clanking of coins were heard by all. Link blew a piercing whistle with two fingers to signal the return; everyone reported back to the ship, the merchant's boat tied alongside as prisoner, now only a ferry to the dead. The crew were lucky to get so many good things; fine linens, gold, silver, jewels, anything they could ever want was theirs, stuffed in every nook and cranny of the ship's hold, all transferred to his cabin. Suffice to say, Link was in a good mood. "We'll rest here tonight, mates. In the morning, we'll return to our wanderings." He waited for the cheering to die down, drowning in it with hands raised, and turned back towards his personal cabin to go to sleep.

Garth yelled just before he reached the door. "I think we all deserve some of that booty. What's our share?"

Link smiled and gave a chuckle, keeping his back turned. "The water is below freezing tonight. It would be a bad time to go swimming." He turned towards the newer pirate, his boots thudding on the wood of the deck.. "Wouldn't you agree?" His posture stiff, he leaned in to stare into the new pirate's eyes. "That's the second time today you have questioned me. I would advise you not to do so again…" Without further warning he snatched the man up by his collar and slammed him against the wooden frame of the mast, hard and high. "Do I make myself clear!" he screamed. There was enveloping silence; no one heard anything except the whimpering of the man as he struggled against the Captain's stony grip.

"Yes sir! Whatever you say… just don't hurt me, Captain!" Link threw Garth against the floor and watched him cower under his shadow. Even it seemed to have some dark power over the men. He scoffed and sneered as he turned around to return to his quarters. It would have been a wasted effort. After all, he'd just had the cutlass cleaned. One by one, every spectator left Garth to his own vices; offering no help to the fallen pirate. Such was against the code, the code of pirates, mostly unspoken, but known instinctively by all who lived to follow it. The first rule of the code was "Never go against the captain."

Sheik followed Link back to his chambers, somewhat nervous in his actions, but determined to speak to him. Link groaned out loud, massaging his temples with a few fingers. "Do I ever have any rest from your constant bickering?" he spat out; showing a murderous glint in his eyes when he turned.

"Sorry to further disturb you, captain, I just wanted to know what the new name of our ship should be." Sheik knew the captain was tired, but he needed to know. Out of all people on board, he was particularly superstitious. It was bad luck to have a ship without a name.

Link looked confused just for a moment, then sniffed and made a shooing motion with his hand. "The merchant ship? Destroy it. I don't want any more ships now."

Sheik saluted; and made his way to the merchant ship's lower deck. Most of the goods would be transferred by now, but perhaps it would still be here. He looked around, until he spotted what he had been looking for. Gunpowder…enough of it to blow the ship sky high. He stepped over a dead body with a frown. Out of all the pirates, Sheik was not only the most superstitious but the most soft-hearted. Best to get it over with as soon as possible. Feeling a bit sorry for the former inhabitants of the ship, he lit a match and sparked the wick leading to it; knowing for sure that they were far enough away so that the blast would not affect their own ship.

He swung back over to The White Wolfos; plugging his ears. Link gave a wry smile when the deafening blast reached his hearing range and the ship shook with the impact zone. There was no need to worry. All was taken care of.

As he saw his bed, the dreaded reminder of what must happen reoccurred to him. He hated sleeping. In fact, he loathed it. He always seemed to have nightmares; it was inevitable. Oh well…there was nothing else to do. He lay back on the curtain-lined bed; fingering his favorite treasure, a golden ring. Why did he feel so unhappy? He had everything he ever wanted…so why did the world feel so empty? Pushing the despairing thoughts aside for the moment, he yawned and slowly let the comforting, yet uneasy darkness envelop him…


	2. Leap of Faith

Link woke up in a sour mood. It wasn't unusual, for he had once again slept with nothing but nightmares. The dreams were often the same. He found himself alone in the middle of the ocean, pounded by the angry sea, thrashing for breath as he kicked his way for the surface, for one gasp of breath before being smashed down once more. Each successive time he lost more and more air, and his lungs spent more effort to last. He was reaching for the surface, his fingers breaking the edge, searching for a hold, and he simply lost the ability to swim. Sinking downward into the darkness, he could only watch through blurred vision as the last of his air drifted away in bubbles, the only part of him which would ever see the world again.

He woke in a cold sweat, panting, his silk pajamas soaked, his body chill. The window swung lazily with the tide. A slight rattling drew his attention to a pile of coins sitting among silver goblets, tossed without regard among a slew of other fine things in his cabin. The crew would be expecting them to make port soon, to spend some of the plunder, to drink to life's dazzling prospects. Well, they would be disappointed. He swung open the door to the deck with no regard for anyone unfortunate enough to be standing in front of it, stalking towards the side of the ship, gazing into the fog. Whatever had been left of the merchant ship mostly drifted away on the tide during the night. Some small pieces of driftwood were still visible and a barrel or two unsalvageable for the White Wolfos.

All of the crew was deadly quiet; they knew better than to speak to the captain unless they were spoken to. Even the newest pirates dared not disturb him. He also knew that the silence would not last forever. Best to get it over with now. He turned to his crew; some of which flinched just a little.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going, before I decide to feed a few of you to the sharks for my enjoyment," he snapped. At this comment, the ship jumped to life. Everyone sprang to their posts, calling out orders to keep things moving swiftly. The only one who didn't move was Sheik. He leaned on the side of the ship, seeing how far he could gaze down into the waters before it became completely black.

He stared into the thick blanket of fog which covered the water's surface, watching it waft away as the ship began to move. As he looked, he saw something coming into view, a large piece of wreckage no doubt. He squinted, until something on top of it cleared enough to make him whirl around, straight into Link's stern expression. "What's so interesting, Sheik?" he asked bad-temperedly.

"A girl! There's a girl in the water!" He pulled his captain to the rim and pointed over the edge of the ship. Link peered over the edge in a casual manner, raising an eyebrow.

"So there is…" it was true. There was a girl in the water, or at least it looked like a person. He couldn't really tell many specifics like age or appearance; it was too waterlogged and foggy. Link had often seen bodies left to Davy Jones before, but the sight of a body so determined to live it crawled upon something floating was more rare. He turned, putting a hand on his hip, shrugging. "So…why does this concern us?" he stated blandly. Sheik was taken aback and sputtered a response.

"Captain…surely you're not suggesting just leaving her there, are you?" Link frowned. He leaned over, glancing once more at the floating piece of wrecking on which this…thing floated. It really wasn't his business whether it lived or died…he turned around, noticing the whole crew was suddenly watching him. He would have to choose his words carefully. Though captain by right, he was not immune to an ever-encroaching possibility of mutiny.

"Why should we care? It's probably already dead, anyway. You and I both know the water is below freezing at night." He began to move away. He was getting a little uncomfortable with the whole ideal and the pairs of eyes boring into him. Sheik sighed; Link was most likely right. The water was below freezing temperatures… he stared harder and swore he saw a slight stir on the wreckage out of the corner of his eye.

"Captain!" He made Link jump just a little, though not enough to let anyone notice. "She's alive!"

Link sneered as he returned, this time putting both hands on the railing to make a show of watching the figure below them, slowly moving away as the ship drifted in the wind. Yes, the person or thing had moved.

"Captain, we can't just leave her out there!" Sheik pleaded.

Link, in a fury, slammed his first mate up against the railing, his fingers tight around the man's shirt. "I decide whether we leave it or not, not you!" he ground Sheik's shoulder into the wood. "Am I understood?" Sheik looked down, silent. "Good…" Link lowered him to the floor, steadying him on his feet. The captain should never be cruel to his crew, just firm. "Listen up, all of you…I decide what goes around here…" He turned towards Sheik. "And, no thanks to your lip, I say we're going to let it freeze to death, if it doesn't die of dehydration first."

He made his way to his cabin, still sleep-deprived from the dark circles under his eyes. "I'm going to sleep now. I don't want to be disturbed. Steer us anywhere from here. The attack will draw attention…we'll leave at the first sight of Farore's blessing." he stared at Sheik as they began to sway slowly with the waves. He began to shut the doors, tossing his head with a jerk to motion the wreckage. "Tell your friend goodbye. You won't get another chance." The doors slammed shut.

Sheik did not move, but he heard the others resume business as usual. Why did he try to dig at his captain? He knew the man had good in him still, but it had been lost for so long… how did he reach that which was unreachable?

Link frowned to himself in the cabin, settling himself on his plush bedding, staring at the ceiling. The feeling of guilt started to gnaw at the edge of his mind. He had not always been so flagrantly disregarding of human life. When had he become so callous? All those men on the merchant ship likely had families or loved ones waiting for their return… a return which would never come to be. He lifted his hand lazily, watching the moonlight glimmer off his golden ring on his finger. It would always stay on his finger. He had promised it would never come off, not until he met death face to face. Link intended to delay the meeting as long as possible. He lay back, secretly praying, hoping the same nightmare would not occur again tonight, not again, not twice in the same day.

….

No one seemed to notice as the first mate busied himself at the side of the ship. No one noticed as he intentionally broke the first rule of piracy, the one all pirates knew from the start: Never go against your captain.


	3. A Chance To Take

Sheik watched the girl tremble like a leaf caught among a furious gale of wind. He had done everything he possibly could for her. There was simply nothing else he had to give. He made the choice to cover her in a blanket and set her in his bed, swaddled in warmth, below deck, where he could keep an eye on her without too much fear of prying eyes. Her chest rose and fell in shallow increments, long blonde hair limp around her face. It took a few hours, but he happened to be present when she opened her eyes. Putting a finger to her lips, he shushed her quietly.

"You must be quiet…rest now. You must relax. You've been in a terrible accident, you're lucky to be alive." He was deathly afraid of what would happen if the captain were to find out what happened…if he knew that he had broken the unspoken code and rescued the girl. The girl squinted and coughed a few times.

"Where…am I?" she choked out, unable to hold her voice stable. Sheik shook his head, glancing back at the door to his quarters. No one appeared to be interested.

"You're on Captain Link's ship, the White Wolfos. I rescued you from the water. My name is Sheik. Tell me, are you feeling alright? You survived the worst of it, the fever you had made you too hot to touch. Who exactly are you? Where did you come from? Did you set sale from the port of Hyrule?" He leaned forward so she wouldn't have to talk so loud.

"Yes, I'm feeling fine now…just a little waterlogged…" She sat up in the bed, facing him with a somewhat regal attitude, her head held high and proud despite her appearance. "I am Zelda, daughter of the head Commissioner of Trade. Thank you for saving me, Sheik. I assure you, my father will pay you handsomely for my return to Hyrule." Sheik just gaped. Of course his expressions were always hard to read as he chose to wear swaths of cloth over his face to hide his scars.

"Hold on a moment. D…did you say your father is head of the trade committee?" He felt a sinking sensation in his gut.

"Yes, that's right. He travels with the merchant ships along this route every few days…oh!" she exclaimed, looking around. "But I am forgetting my manners…where is your captain? Captain Link, wasn't it? I must thank him for saving me as well…" She smiled, an expression completely innocent and naïve of any danger.

"No!" Sheik exclaimed, putting an arm out to push her back into a sitting position. His mind raced. What should he tell her? "I hope you will find your room accommodating. I would rather that you did not leave until I say you can. Let me tell the captain you're awake. You need to continue to regain your strength after the ordeal." Sheik was trying desperately to sound as respectable as he could; he only hoped she would be gullible enough to listen.

"Yes, that's fine, I can wait while you fetch him, but I must get news to my father…please, will you tell him of my safety? I beg of you, I need him to know. I'm all he has left. He must be coming to see what's left if something has happened to the ship," she pleaded, grabbing his arm. He slunk away from her grip, pulling her glove off in the process.

"Very well, Zelda. I promise I will tell your father of your safety." He dropped her glove on the ground beside her, rising to his feet. "For now, please rest…I don't want you to become any sicklier than you are now." She nodded, and sank back down into the bed, giving a little sigh as her head hit the pillow.

Sheik staggered up to the deck; anyone who saw him in the market would have thought he was stone-drunk by the way he moved. Everyone was either quietly tending their own business, or still asleep. But not for long…soon Captain Link would wake up and they would be on their way.

Sheik was, and always had been, a man of his word. On one hand, telling the man his daughter was safe seemed a good thing, but on the other, the man was likely the number one opposition in the way of pirating. Perhaps there would be a way he could satisfy both conditions. He sat down with a piece of paper and a quill pen, scribbling the note on the deck floor by swinging candlelight.

_Dear Sir, your daughter is well…she will come to no harm…I will protect her as long as I can…I am sure you will connect soon. We will be making port near Hyrule in the future. You should look for your daughter there. Sincerely, Sheik…first mate of the White Wolfos._

He didn't have time to fuss about how it sounded; the day was growing nearer. He grabbed an empty whiskey bottle from the mass of ropes nearby and shoved the note inside. He crammed the cork into the top and threw it over the side where it landed with a plop, watching it float off into the distance, disappearing among the thinning fog. He nodded, satisfied. The deed was done.

"What are you doing?" Sheik whirled around to come face to face with Link. His eyes were piercing into him, the dark circles clearly visible; he wasn't in a good mood…as usual.

"Nothing…just… listening to the ocean." Sheik mentally kicked himself, but his eyes were steady. Stupid excuse. Link must have known something brooded ill with Sheik, but the first mate knew he could not reveal to his captain about the girl… not yet.

"Let's get moving…maybe you should rest, Sheik, you're not sounding like yourself…too much sea air." Sheik nodded dumbly, and took off the bottom deck to check on Zelda once more. He glanced in her direction; almost falling over himself with surprise. Perhaps she'd been confined to bed before, but now she was alive and well, walking around, and poking around all of his things, giving them appraising nods or disapproving wrinkles of her nose.

"What are you doing," he exclaimed in exasperation, half flustered to have his things touched and half stunned to see her moving at all, "you should be resting! You were in below freezing water all night!"

Zelda put down a model ship and waved a hand at him with a scoff. "Oh, phooey…I feel fine! Stop worrying so much. I don't want to sit around all day. Tell me, did you speak to your captain? Are we set on a course for finding my father's ship? Did you give him my message?" Sheik was lost in thought as he stared at her hands running through her hair; the way she tidied herself up and braided a single strand as she spoke. He'd never seen another girl so naturally beautiful. Her hair had begun to dry, blonde like the captain's, but more tame, softer in appearance. Her eyes were a pretty blue color, much like the sea on a perfect sailing day, light and clear. He shook his head to clear it.

"Yes, I gave your father your message…" he said, watching her carefully to make sure she wouldn't get into anything dangerous.

"Oh, that's wonderful that you got my message through! And we are on a course for my father's ship, I assume? I assure you, it will be worth your while. Tell me Sheik, what sort of business do you run with your ship? Are you merchants? Or explorers?"

"I suppose you could say we are explorers in a way..." He winced as he said this, giving a sigh.

"Oh!" She suddenly looked frightened, clasping her hands and giving him a pleading expression. "Tell your captain to be very careful! My ship was attacked by pirates last night!" Sheik felt a sinking sensation as she continued, giving him a mournful look. "There… weren't any other survivors, were there?"

"Don't worry, we are completely safe from any pirate attacks." He felt his mouth dry up, swallowing to try and ease the words out of his mouth. "You were the only one I could rescue."

"Oh, goddesses…" she breathed, closing her eyes briefly. "So many people, so many good families…"

"I did everything I could."

"Perhaps if we could convince the captain to look further? Could I go speak to him about it? Thank him for rescuing me?"

"I don't think so," Sheik quickly countered, shaking his head. "Not today. Maybe tomorrow. I will let you know when it is a good time." He watched her return to his bed and sigh as she closed her eyes. He would have to speak to Link about the girl sometime. It might as well be sooner rather than later.

Link swung over the side of his ship, letting the breeze lift his spirits a little. Farore must have been feeling generous. They were making excellent time. He felt better already, seating himself on the rail of the ship, letting the rays of the sun engulf his face in their warmth. He'd had a mostly undisturbed rest, and this made him feel better. He began to hum a slight tune, letting it carry to a whistle. His good mood spread to the rest of the crew like wildfire.

Sheik had chosen the station of crow's nest. He gazed over the horizon blankly. Normally, he enjoyed being so high, able to see everything, but today, the guilt overwhelmed him. Everyone she knew, everyone on that ship, was dead. He dropped his gaze.

Link had been watching Sheik for the past few minutes with growing interest. There was absolutely no reason for the man to be so down, unless… "Sheik!"

"Yes, Captain!" Sheik snapped to a salute and looked down at the man.

"Get down here!" Link motioned with a wave of his arm.

Sheik swung down to where Link awaited, surprisingly enough, not look agitated.

"What is it, Captain?" He saluted once more, offering a weak smile.

"Listen Sheik…I know why you are so down lately," Link began.

"Captain, I can explain," Sheik interrupted, wondering if somehow Link had found out about the girl in his cabin.

"Sheik, please, let me finish. I know why you are so down lately. It's because of that thing that we left in the water, isn't it?" Sheik looked surprised, but successfully covered it.

"Yes…that's it, Captain." Link shifted uncomfortably. He did not apologize often, and when he did, it came out as more of a self-righteous regret.

"You know we're pirates. It's what we do. We have no choice. You know that."

"You are absolutely correct, Captain. I will never question you again…" A chorus of gasps sounded, one after another, from the whole ship. Sheik looked behind Link and his heart skipped.

There was nothing he could do to keep Link from turning to see what had captured everyone's attention. There, on deck, looking as shocked as the others, was a young woman. A woman! On his ship!

Zelda gazed at the sea of unfriendly faces staring at her. This ship was not a merchant ship… this was… something else. For a long moment, everyone on board the White Wolfos was speechless. Then it was broken, by the roar of the ship's captain.

"What are you doing on my ship?"


	4. Learn From A Stranger

Zelda felt her heart pound in her chest, hard and fast as a drummer; she didn't know what to say or how to react. Who was this man who stood before her with such overwhelming anger in his eyes? Where was their captain?

Link stepped forward, his eyes pinpointed on the woman hard enough to kill her had he been able to, whirling about to face the men. "Well?" he demanded, holding his arms out to his side. When no one spoke, he reached into the waist of his cloak and withdrew a dully shimmering cutlass, stained from many past killings in a red tint, facing Zelda. "Speak up, woman! Before I kill you for the pleasure of it."

Zelda backed away until she hit wood, swallowing a lump in her throat. Her voice came like a whisper, small and timid, "I'm sorry... clearly there has been a mistake. I would like to speak to your Captain, please. I am the daughter of the head merchant of the port of Hyrule. Please, I'm sure he would understand my situation."

Link sneered in her direction, the anger filling in lines of his crinkled forehead. "You're looking at him."

Zelda's expression slackened. Was this figure in front of her that seemed to represent death itself really the captain? "Please…I'm sorry for my intrusion. I hope you will forgive me. You should be thankful for your kind crewmate, Sheik, who saved me from certain death!" she blurted out, hoping he would become kinder at the realization.

In a flash, Link had shifted his glare to Sheik; searching him as if he were harboring a danger of some sort. He ground his teeth for a long moment, and then yelled to two pirates nearest him. "Take her to the bottom deck and throw her in with the cargo!" Zelda screeched and kicked as she was hauled off.

"I won't forget this! How dare you? I only wanted to thank you! What kind of explorers are you?" her screams echoed through the empty air.

Link grabbed Sheik by his collar and shoved him into his quarters, locking the door to leave the two of them alone, the murmuring of the confused crew still heard beyond the threshold. "What have you done, Sheik? What am I supposed to do? I don't want to destroy you…you are without a doubt the smartest, most loyal man I have out of all this trash of the sea…" He gestured to the other pirates outside. "And… my only friend." Giving a short cry of frustration, he turned and slapped Sheik hard across the face, knocking him down onto the floor. "You know the punishment for breaking the code is death!" Sheik trembled a little, doing nothing but nodding. He flinched when Link bent before him, holding out a hand. "But I can't kill you… I can't."

"Captain…" Sheik uttered, taking his hand and helping himself to his feet again.

"I will not kill you." Link pierced into Sheik with his eyes. "But something has to be done. They have to know I punish people who don't follow the rules. The rules were so simple, Sheik, damn you!" Link wandered over to a map spread out on a table, compass and tools scattered around it. "I don't have a choice. You will have no food or water for three days. You are to be thrown into the cargo hold and held down there."

Sheik watched his captain carefully, quietly. "I know you wouldn't have left her there." He turned to go, feeling dizzy from the slap. He did not even notice when Link smacked the back of his head with the hilt of his sword. The next Sheik knew, he awoke in the cargo hold, his hands bound together with ropes…they were so tight, they cut into his skin. He could feel a tiny trickle of blood drip down his wrists, sticky already. Then he realized he was not alone. The princess was also down here with him, tied with the same rope, her back against his. She moaned, and stirred a little, her words slurred.

"What sort of Captain is that? Have you already been attacked by the pirates?" she mumbled, her mind trying to sort out the last events. "Why wouldn't he listen to me? The goods that my father currently carries on his ship would most certainly cover any trouble of returning me, so I don't understand," she mused in somber whispers.

"I'm afraid the Captain isn't very compassionate, or understanding…" Sheik murmured.

"Wait a moment…" Zelda squinted into the darkness. "This looks just like the linen that my father had on his ship… and the silk…" She began the look around wildly. "This silver candlestick set, those gold ornaments!" Her expression froze as realization hit her like lightning. "You…you aren't merchants or explorers…are you?"

"No." Sheik admitted, half relieved just to be done with the falsities.

"Then…you _are_ pirates," she breathed. "Now I see…"

Sheik nodded dumbly. She straightened her body, bringing him up with her, then eased when she heard a grunt of pain from him. "Well, even if you _are_ pirates, my father will still pay handsomely for my return. You no doubt plan to use me as ransom." She swallowed. "I will not be treated like some cargo."

Sheik couldn't help but chuckle a little. "I think you know the truth, Zelda." he nodded sadly.

"Oh? And what truth is that?" Zelda turned away in anger after striving to free her hands and having no success.

"You know we are the pirates." Zelda cocked her head a little.

"What do you mean exactly?" she asked.

"We are the pirates who attacked your father's ship."

Zelda stood there silent for a moment.

"I see…I think. But what happened? How did I end up here? You saved me, didn't you? "

"Your father's ship is destroyed, Zelda. You are the lone survivor. I was never supposed to save you, but I went against orders. I can't guarantee the Captain is going to have anything to do with you." Silence filled the hull, except the occasional creak of the ship's wooden planks swaying against the water. Finally the silence was broken with a few stifled sobs.

"I…I understand." She looked up, trying to act as if she was not devastated.

"I am sorry. I am truly sorry." Sheik murmured. Hearing a woman cry in such a devastating position was too much for him.

After a while, she swallowed the lump in her throat and forcibly regained control of her emotions. "Well, first things first. How do we escape from this predicament?" she gestured to the hull, where they were being kept. "Do you think he will let us free soon?"

"There's no way of telling." Sheik looked towards the ceiling. They were right above the captain's quarters. "If I were to venture a guess, I would say in about three days…" Or at least, he hoped.

Meanwhile, Link paced back and forth in his room, staring below at the hull. The battle between releasing Sheik and remaining firm in his orders was maddening. He collapsed back on his bed and fingered his golden ring, the ring that given him his life… and yet immediately had taken it away with a single stroke. "Why, Sheik?" he asked aloud, knowing he would receive no answer. "Why did you have to do this to me?" he sighed deeply. If only…if only things were different.

He had begun to see her face in his nightmares. He was lost. Lost in that sea of agony, and then she would appear, a beacon of hope… only for him to sea before he sank under the waves, like always. He listened to the sound of the waves hitting the side of the ship, the creaks and groans of the wood that held the ship together. There was simply nothing he could do. He could only hope someday he would be free, and wait until he could find the nearest opportunity to set Sheik free.


	5. Forgiveness for the Unforgiveable

Sheik groaned and winced a little. His tongue was dry and swelling from the lack of water. His stomach felt like it was being punched repeatedly. He tried not to let Zelda see how tired he felt. She had to remain strong. It had been two days…almost three. Hopefully the captain would bring them both back to the main deck and allow them eat and drink once more.

Zelda, being tied to Sheik's wrists, had nothing else to do but talk. She'd learned a lot about him and about the ship. She'd also learned about the Captain and how he was not a negotiator. She was confident that she could straighten this whole matter out. When he released her, she would finally be able to talk to him and perhaps this time he would act more like a civilized person.

Sheik really felt guilty about the whole thing. Perhaps things would have been better if he'd never rescued her at all. The captain wouldn't listen to her pleas. Did he even remember they were still down here? What would happen to her afterwards? Only time would tell.

Above deck, Link was strangely quiet. He did indeed remember about the two being held below deck. He was just perplexed about what to do. Sheik would be easy enough to take care of, just a warning, and he would be back to his old self. But the girl…that was another matter. She was different somehow. The crew would be expecting him to do something to teach her a lesson. He'd figure it out when she was before him. He yelled to the two nearest pirates, Garth and Dondollo, to bring them up. They quickly dropped what they were doing and ran to obey the captain's orders.

Sheik squinted in the sunlight, grimacing. His eyes adjusted as he shielded them, letting him see the captain before him. "Sir…"

Zelda immediately shut her eyes against the light, fists clenched. She forced her eyelids to pry open and blinked a few times. She perked up a little as she noticed the Captain in front of her, clearing her throat and coughing. Now she might be able to persuade him to explain why he had not given her a very polite welcome. She held herself upwards and kept her regal attitude.

Link raised an eyebrow. He nodded to his crew to release the two prisoners, and they were cut free, falling to deck and rubbing their wrists. The first one he spoke to was Sheik.

"Well, Sheik. Tell me, have you learned your lesson? Or do you want a few more days down in the hull to think it over?" he sneered.

"No." Sheik quickly shook his head back and forth, barely whispering. "I'm sorry, Captain. I beg your forgiveness." Link just nodded.

"Very well." He motioned for Sheik's bonds to be cut. "You shall be freed." Sheik stood up, and bent over a little in pain from not eating. Anyone without a trained eye would not have caught it, but Link noticed immediately. "Take him to the galley and have something cooked up for him." He followed Sheik's gaze to a bottle of wine being sipped by Garth "Yes, and you may drink, too." He nearly smiled.

Sheik casually walked to Garth and accepted the wine the man begrudgingly held, although he did not take his eye off the merchant's daughter for one second. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, listening to the conversation with his keen hearing.

Link hesitated. The girl was strangely quiet. She seemed to be waiting for him to speak first. So be it. He walked over to her; she seemed to regard him with an air of superiority on her part, although she held her head down so he could not see her face.

"So…" for one of the first times in his life, Link could not find the words to speak. He tried again, and succeeded in starting the conversation. "Let's start again. Who are you and why are on my ship, girl?" he spoke the last word with extreme distaste, as if it had somehow spoiled. This emphasis fueled Zelda's frustration, yet she remained just as calm and unphased as she seemed to be before he insulted her.

"I . Am. The head merchant's daughter." She spoke each word slowly and distinctly, as if she were speaking to a child. She could insult him too.

Link's eyes darkened a little. He could pick up little snickers and chuckles from the crew at their Captain being insulted. She continued to talk in this manner, keeping her head down so he couldn't see her smile. "I am on this…ship because your crewmate, Sheik saved me from certain death." Link frowned a little. "But I assure you, I will make it worth your while to take me to the nearest town as soon as possible." She kept her head bowed, waiting for an answer.

Link frightened the whole crew by bellowing out a huge laugh, his eyes watering, exaggerating greatly. He slapped a knee, holding his sides and gasping in short breaths. "Take…you…back to…the town!" he paused, and got up. "That was the best joke I have heard in a long time, thanks for the laugh."

Zelda looked shocked, but kept her head bowed. "I'm not joking…I want you to take me back to the nearest town, now!" She sounded a little angry and frightened at the same time.

Link raised an eyebrow, pleased that she was afraid and frustrated. "I'm not taking you back to any town, girl."

Zelda was now furious. She rocketed to her feet. "I demand that you take me back to the town, or…or I'll jump!" she motioned to the side of the ship. Her eyes blazed with anger as she met his gaze.

Sheik saw the look Link gave the girl in that moment. Could it be? Was there a look of intrigue in his captain's face? It was impossible…wasn't it? He watched with growing interest, having finished with the drink and still concerned for Zelda's safety.

Link quickly shook himself of the look he had and replaced it with one of amusement. "You want to jump?" he asked her. He motioned for the pirates to cut her bonds. He smiled wryly as he watched her surprised expressions. She glanced up at him in confusion. He shrugged his shoulders a little. "Go ahead."

Zelda didn't understand. "What do you mean?" Link let another evil smile creep up his mouth.

"Go ahead and jump. I'm not going to stop you…" Zelda began to rush for the side of the ship. "But!" she stopped, listening to him. "I'm just giving you a fair warning…we're out in the middle of the ocean. You won't be able to swim more than a few miles…you wouldn't make it to the nearest town even if there was one around these parts, which there isn't. You jump; you drown."

Zelda gaped, looked to the sea, and looked back at him. She was filled with frustration. "Then what am I supposed to do?" she practically yelled at him. He gestured to the ship around him.

"Congratulations girl, you've joined the crew of the White Wolfos."

"No." she shook her head. "I will not join your crew of filthy sea scum," she spat. He was crazy.

"No?" Link approached her threateningly. "Then perhaps you would rather be thrown overboard." She was caught, pinned against the rail. "I'm losing my patience."

Zelda thought silently, planning. _Take your time, Zelda. You'll escape when you next get a chance. _"Very well…I will join your crew."

Link had a straight face on and waved a hand dismissively. "I expect my dinner in about fifteen minutes. Serve it to me in the galley." He left her without a word and headed down the galley early so he could relax for a while.

Zelda gasped as he left. She clenched her fists, swung open the door, and yelled down the hall at the top of her lungs. "I will not prepare anything! Nor will I serve it to you or any of your filthy scum!" She whirled around and saw two pirates, Garth and Dondollo, watching her and approaching with a grin in their eyes.

"It's been a long time since I've seen a woman." Garth approached her. "Tell me Dondollo, do you think she knows how to please a pirate?" He turned to his crewmate.

Dondollo replied in a deep voice that might have been pleasant if not for intention. "I dunno, Garth. But she sure looks soft, don't she?'

Zelda backed up to the stairwell. "You stay away from me!" She cringed and started to scream until she heard a thump and a yell. Garth scrambled back on the ground, a little stream of blood leaking from his lip. She noticed Sheik standing in front of her, his fist up at level with his chest.

He cracked his knuckles; the crunching sound made her grimace. "The girl…" he looked around for a moment to make sure everyone was paying attention, ". . . is not to be touched by anyone." He cast angry glances in all directions, making sure he made eye contact with every one of the pirates watching. "Am I understood or does anyone else need a lesson?" The pirates merely went about their business. No one dared to question the first mate.

Garth grumbled as he pulled himself up and wiped the blood from his lip to his sleeve. "You won't do anything with her anyway, why do you care?" he sneered as he went back to his work.

Zelda put her hand on Sheik's shoulder. "Thank you, Sheik, thank you. I don't know what I would do without you."

Sheik blushed a little, and shrugged. "It was nothing." He motioned for her to follow him. "I'll show you where we keep the cooking supplies. The captain is not patient. You must be sure you have his meals prepared on the dot. I'll try to keep him from being impatient. You're expected to do whatever he expects of you. As the first rule of piracy says, never go against your Captain."

Zelda looked at him with softness in her eyes. "Like you did."

Sheik turned to meet her gaze for a moment. "Come here. I'll show you where the food is." He lifted a lid to a barrel, swarming with live fish, huge and crowded. Reaching her hand warily inside the barrel, she took one by the tail. It began to thrash wildly and she squealed, releasing it where it flopped to the floor. Sheik chuckled, bending down and snatching it, giving it a quick stab with his knife, stopping its movements. "Maybe you should kill it before you lift it out of the water."

Zelda took the fish and set it on a table in front of her, thinking about her past experiences watching the cooks in the kitchen. She turned to ask for Sheik's help, but he was gone. Where had he gone? Should she go look for him? No, no, she might get lost, or even worse, end up with those other pirates. She shuddered. Well, the only thing to do now was try. Preparing the fish as quickly as possible, she adorned the plate with a few leaves and sprigs of green and looked above her, to where commotion could be heard. It must be the galley. No use in crying now. Just give it to him and hope for the best…


	6. Anger or Forgiveness

Zelda wandered the ship aimlessly, running into empty rooms, rooms full of various treasure, and finally she fumbled into the galley. She took a deep breath to prepare herself for the inevitable. The least she could do was look strong. _Look strong, Zelda. Don't let them know they've gotten the best of you at all. _Sucking in a breath, she swung open the door slowly; the cheers and yelling of drunken men filled the air, along with some half-baked song she couldn't understand. She tucked a long strand of her silky blonde hair behind her ears and stepped down into the darkness, balancing the plate of food before her.

Her eyes scanned the room, searching for the captain; it was filled with most of the other crew, all of them, in her eyes, low-life scum, packed to every nook and cranny. She wrinkled her nose from the stink of smoke and alcohol mixed and forced a swallow to clear her head. When she did spot the captain, she was a little surprised to see him off in a corner of the room, alone, rather than right in the midst or in the most comfortable spot as she assumed would be his right. Oh well. Not her problem. She just wanted to deliver his meal and get out, no questions asked.

Link knew she had come from the moment she'd entered the room. He had smelled her perfume among all the other scents. She must have been well-treated wherever she had come from. Most of the sweet scents were replaced with the smell of seawater, but his keen nose caught the few that were still noticeable. He did not doubt he was alone. He leaned back in his chair to see the rest of the galley, watching his crew with eyes of a hawk.

Zelda made her way past all the pirates warily. She was pleased to see Sheik watching her from a table, a friendly smile on his face, his body language relaxed as if to encourage her to do the same. She could not convince her body to obey. Her eyes had noticed a few other, more unsavory pirates staring at her with greedy, hungry looks in their eyes, and not for the fish she carried in her hands. She quickened her pace a little, arriving in front of Link, and set the platter down in front of him silently.

Link raised the brim of his feathered hat up with a finger, and took his feet off the other side of the table, returning to a stable position. He stared at the sorry-looking lump that once resembled a fish and prodded a piece with a knife as if it were poison. "What _is_ this?" he asked, having to work to keep the smirk off his face. The fact she had so badly butchered a simple fish amused him. Perhaps she wasn't going to be as much trouble as he thought.

Zelda stuttered a little. "It's y-your dinner." She continued as Link stared at her. "It's a fish. I cooked it with a special blend of spices, something I'm sure you've never tasted before now." It was as truthful as she could possibly be. She had used every single spice available at least once during the process. She couldn't cook; she wouldn't know the first thing about how to sauté or fry food. In her father's home, everything had always been done for her. All she remembered was spices were used in cooking, and she'd taken every spice available this time. _Goddesses, help me… _

Link raised an eyebrow at the lump of food, staring at it forlornly. He slowly grabbed a fork in the other hand, and cut a slice off. He raised it to his lips, and bit into it, chewing for a moment thoughtfully.

Zelda sighed inwardly, and turned away, sitting in a seat close by. At least she'd managed to make the man food. She wasn't a total loss.

At that moment, she heard a loud choking sound, and turned to see the captain spitting out the fish. His eyes snapped to face her, and his hand snatched the plate. "You call this food?" He hurled the plate at her. It shattered into a hundred shards next to her, sending glass careening everywhere.

She cowered against the glass pieces flying past her. One piece cut her cheek slightly, causing a small streak of red to appear and blood to dribble down her hand once she placed it tightly against the wound. "I'm sorry!" she cried. No one had ever acted so harshly around her before, and she was more than frightened. She bent down and began picking up the larger pieces of glass, a few snickers resounding from those around watching the spectacle.

Link's sides heaved for a few moments. He stared at the girl in front of him, angry at her for embarrassing him and angry at himself for keeping her onboard without legitimate reason. "Just tell me. Why did you find it so pleasurable would to try and kill me with your repulsive cooking?"

Zelda's gaze remained glued on the floor, tears filling her eyes and spilling over down her cheeks. She couldn't answer him. She couldn't dare even look at him or he would know she was crying. She would not give him that satisfaction.

Link sneered, and gave him a kick in the side, prodding her. "Get up," he ordered. "Look me in the eyes like the adult you are, and answer!" The entire galley was swiftly falling silent to watch the ordeal. A single coin could fall and no one would even mention it.

Zelda pushed herself to her feet, quickly wiping away any sign of tears, her eyes red and puffy regardless of the feeble attempt. He would know. So she mustered her courage, swallowed her pride, and faced him head-on. "I'm sorry," she plainly stated, her voice straining to remain un-cracked, still wavery. "I tried." She looked away quickly and drew quick, shallow breaths.

Link noticed her tears and her cheek bleeding. Some flicker of an emotion, perhaps pity, stirred his heart. He took a deep breath, and raised his lip, sneering at the pathetic, sniveling woman. "Stop behaving like a child. Get up, take the broken glass, and go. I don't want to see you here again." He sat back down, taking a goblet of ale and downing a drink. "Now go, before I lose my temper again." The chatting of the pirates resumed, although it was noticeably quieter.

Zelda did not need to be dismissed twice. She hated the man. So much so, she couldn't wait to be separated from him. She left the room as quickly as possible without running, all the way to the open deck. There, completely alone, she let herself sob freely "Who does he think he is? When I get off this… this hell of a ship, he'll.. he'll!" she resumed her crying.

Garth, one of the few pirates on watch during dinner, watched the girl from behind a mast. Now was the time to act. She was alone…and no one else was here. It had been too long since he'd seen a woman, any woman, and she was simply too beautiful to resist. He readied himself and began to step out of the shadows. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw someone approaching. He cursed under his breath, and returned to his post, glancing back to see her one last time. Sheik was approaching her. Well, it would only be a matter of time. Someday, the first mate wasn't going to be there, and then…he would be ready.

Zelda held her cheek. It stung badly, despite only being a tiny cut. She heard the footsteps and stifled her tears. "Oh, Sheik." She spoke out loud. She knew it was him. He was the only one who even cared about her on this miserable confinement. "Why is the Captain like that?" She hung over the barrel in front of her, looking out to sea.

There was silence, and then Sheik came up closer to her. "Are you alright?" he asked, leaning beside her, examining her wound. Zelda cleared her throat.

"Yes. Of course. It's just a little cut." She took her hand away, revealing the gash.

Sheik tore off a piece of his clothing, and handed it to her. "Here, put pressure on it. It will stop bleeding soon." He waited for her to do so before he continued. "I see you caught a bit of the captain's temper, didn't you?" He smiled a bit beneath the covering for his scars, trying to change the mood of depression and misery that hung over the girl.

"Yes. I suppose I did. Tell me why he's so angry and hateful to everyone. Why? I didn't mean for the fish to turn out so badly. It was an accident. Why overreact so much over such a small thing?" she asked.

Sheik had a faraway look in his eyes for a moment, and then sighed deeply. "Let's just say he hasn't had the easiest life. I would tell you more but… it's not really my place. I think, for now, the best option is for you to get some sleep. Things will look better in the morning. They always do." He paused, and seemed embarrassed.

Zelda cocked her head a little, holding the cloth to her cheek tightly. "What is it? What's wrong?" she asked.

Sheik turned to her, and spoke softly, almost regretfully. "I came to tell you something. The Captain has…requested your presence to sleep with him tonight." He put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing. "It will be alright. He won't hurt you." He was trying to make her calm and reassured, although he was puzzled. The captain had let very few people into his cabin before. Only he out of the entire crew had seen it, and only once or twice. But then, none of the crew were women.

Zelda didn't know what to think. He wanted her…to sleep with him? Her heart began to skip beats. "You can tell him…" she began, "that I would rather sleep with the sharks," she spat.

Suddenly, a voice echoed out from behind her. "That can be arranged."

Both of them turned around, almost simultaneously. The captain was standing there, watching them, arms crossed over his chest. He had a very strange look on his face, a look Sheik recognized. A mixture of sadness and anger combined, a look that said he'd been thinking.

Zelda immediately stepped forward in bitterness. "I don't care what you do with me. Toss me over. I won't sleep with you."

Link blinked calmly. "Yes. You will. Otherwise, you can sleep with the crew. I'm sure they'll draw lots just to pick who's first." He frowned, eyes sparkling dangerously. "Or would you prefer that?"

Zelda just stared, mouth agape. Sleep with him? Or sleep with the crew? Her eyes began to fill with tears again. "I'd rather die."

"Oh, boys!" Link shouted, hand cupped to his mouth.

"Wait!" She was crumbling. She couldn't take it. Tears once again spilling from her eyes, she nodded, bowing her head. "Very well, I will sleep with you."

Sheik held out an arm to comfort her was when a loud yell from the captain brought him back to his senses. "Sheik! Go to bed, and tell the others to do the same. Tomorrow is a new beginning, and we set sail for Hyrule. I want my pirates rested." Sheik saluted smartly, and hastily made his way down to the bottom deck, glancing back before shutting the door.

Link paused and turned back to look over his shoulder at Zelda. She was crying again. "Emotional females…" he mumbled, giving her a wave. "Follow me." He began heading towards his cabin, going down a staircase and taking a left where he opened his cabin.

Zelda entered after him and he closed the door. She stood close to the doorway and gaped in wonder at her surroundings. Even her own room seemed dull in comparison to the richly decorated living space. A window was installed in the middle of the cabin, letting moonbeams shine in and the smell of the sea air wafting in from beyond it. There was a large chest to keep clothes in, carved from fresh wood she could also smell. It was likely a recent piece of plunder from somewhere before her ship attack. A large bed was in the corner of the room. It had long, lacey curtains and fine satin sheets. There was an animal fur draped along the top of the bed.

She had never seen anything quite so lovely, the dark colors looking inviting to her, making her sleepy. She looked down at herself. She felt very out of place among such splender. She still had on the clothes she was wearing when Sheik had rescued her. She casually pretended to stretch, and gave her clothes a quick whiff to test. She swallowed and tried not to breath, with a slight cough. Her clothes smelled absolutely horrid. The captain didn't seem to notice that she was even there, bending over the bed and sliding some papers away from it.

Link turned to the girl, noticing how awkward her stance was. She had to wear something other than that, otherwise she would not only freeze, but stink his whole cabin to high hell. _Well… if she fits her size, I could give her that… _He began to look for something, rummaging in random places, and feeling his pockets.

Zelda sighed in misery as she watched him feeling in his pockets. There was nothing she would be able to do. No matter where she would run, he could find her. They were surrounded by open water. She began to finger her buttons on the back of her dress in nervousness. She couldn't help but begin to tremble. "P-please…" she stuttered, "be gentle with me. I've never done this before." The tears began to pour down her cheeks unbidden.

Link picked out a key from his pocket, and fitted it in the lock for the chest at his feet. When he heard what she had said, he stood up and faced her. "What are you babbling about?" He stared at the sniffling girl in front of him.

Zelda looked up in exasperation. Why did he have to make everything so difficult? "I have never slept with a man before!" she blurted out in a very embarrassed tone. There. She had said it. She mentally kicked herself. Now she had revealed that she was a virgin.

Link's eyes widened. He looked at her in a confused state. "What are you talking about?" he asked, exasperated from dealing with the woman.

Zelda wiped her hands over her eyes. "Sheik told me you had wanted to sleep with me…" she whispered.

Link watched her stare down at the floor, flustered and red and embarrassed to a point where she couldn't even keep eye contact with him. "I see." He squatted and bent over the chest, turning the key and dipping his hands gingerly inside it. He lifted the treasured item out and revealed it- a silk nightgown of a pale blue color, slightly faded. "Put this on. At least you won't smell as bad."

Zelda stared at the nightgown with puzzlement. She hadn't seen any other women on board, and she didn't recognize it from her father's shipment. Why would he keep women's clothing if there weren't any women aboard? She reached to accept the gift and tried to slink away to the most shadowed part of the room. She sniffed it as she slipped it over and removed her other clothing. It smelled faintly of some perfume, but it wasn't cheap or flirtatious. As she returned, she set her own clothes down beside the chest. "Thank you."

Link looked up to see her and his heart skipped a beat, enough to where he unconsciously put a hand over his chest. _Goddesses, she looked like… is this my punishment? For what I considered doing? _"Now you don't smell like rotting seaweed."

Zelda frowned, starting to argue, but she stopped halfway, still thankful she was delaying the inevitable. "Thank you."

Link was stunned by her continual kindness and forgiveness. He sat down on his bed, giving her a wave. "Forget it." He stared down at his hand, playing with the ring on his finger as he always did, rolling it along his knuckles.

Zelda noticed, and after sitting down beside him, asked him in a small voice, "What is the ring for?"

Link stopped and glowered at her. "None of your business. And be careful with that nightgown. Don't you dare get anything on it or tear it. It's valuable."

Zelda somehow doubted it, since it already looked faded, but maybe he knew something she didn't. "Do you… do you mind going slow with me?"

Link continued to stare. "What's your name, again if you haven't already told me?"

The question threw Zelda for a complete loop. "I… my name is Zelda. And… you're…" she tried to think back on what Sheik had called him…

"You may address me as Captain or Sir."

"Oh." She hugged her arms and looked away. "Yes.. sir."

"I have a headache tonight." Link pulled back the covers as Zelda stood up. "I'm not in the mood. Maybe tomorrow. Get in. I'm tired and I don't want you crawling over me in the middle of the night." Silent from her stun, Zelda crawled into the bed, scooting to the far side and trying to squeeze herself as far as she could against the wall.

Link sat on the edge of the bed and watched her solemnly for a moment. "My name is Link. And you don't have to be afraid of me." Then, before Zelda could reply, the light from the oil lamp next to the bed went out, submerging the room into darkness.

She could feel him get into bed with her, but his body didn't touch hers. The bed was more than large enough for two people, and, although she hated herself for it, she relaxed enough to feel his body in the dark and hear him breathing. "Link…" she murmured, closing her eyes.

Link felt her body touch his, and wondered what had prompted him to dismiss her so quickly. Loneliness did sick things to a man. It drove a person mad. He should know. It had been a long time. He shifted, unable to see much of her face, but able to catch an outline with the moonlight streaming through his port window. "Mm…" _Yes… it's been a very long time. _It was not long before Link fell into a deep sleep. And for the first time since he could remember, he had no nightmares.


	7. A Pirates Life for Me

_Thanks for the lovely reviews, everyone! I know I updated a little too quickly at the beginning. I'll give people some time to soak things in from now on. I appreciate all the feedback. It really keeps me going. _

Zelda's eyes fluttered open from a restful sleep. She gazed around the cabin groggily, trying to remember what events had taken place last night, sitting up and stretching. "Oh…that's right," she murmured, hugging her arms as if to ensure she had not been touched. Everything seemed normal. The captain was gone, probably already somewhere else on the ship, and he'd left her some clothes nearby. Looking in the mirror, she wrinkled her nose at the reflection. The clothes were torn and old, but they were clean. They didn't leave much to the imagination, extenuating her body in ways that made her feel less than comfortable. She'd tell him so the first chance she got. Leaving the nightgown carefully folded on the bed, she opened the door leading to the deck and squinted at the sunlight assaulting her.

"Well, look who's finally awake!" She glanced up to see the captain in the crow's nest towards the middle of the boat. Before she could reply, Link had grabbed a rope, and slid down the side of the mast, landing in front of her with a thump, gaze irritated. "No one sleeps in on this ship," he barked, waving a hand to dismiss her, "go report to Sheik, and he will direct you to your first duty. If you're going to eat and sleep here, you're going to work here, too. And I can tell cooking is not your forte…" He turned to leave.

"Hold on a minute!" she returned the cross attitude with a sharp tongue. "You can't tell me what to do just like that! I will not report to anyone! I may be part of your "crew" but I won't be ordered around!"

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear…" Link whirled around and pinned her to the mast, keeping her from moving, but not grinding her against the wood as he did for his own pirates. "As long as you are on my ship, you _will_ obey my commands, whether you like it or not!" He put his face right next to hers, so she had no escape from his piercing gaze. "Am I understood?"

"Yes… yes, Link." She stammered, gulping a large lump down in her throat. Everyone on the ship froze. No one had ever referred to the captain as his name and lived to tell about it, none but his closest friends. Half of the crew hadn't even known the captain's real name until this moment.

"What was that?" Link demanded, facing her once again. "Did you forget what I told you last night? You will address me as captain or sir! Never call me by my name! Try again!"

Zelda was shocked and stunned by the full affront of his aggression. Why not? What was wrong with his name? "Yes, sir!" she blurted out, startled almost to the brink of tears.

"Better," Link approved, turning on his heel and heading back for the crow's nest, disappearing among the other men in Zelda's teary vision.

"Well, good morning!" a cheery voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Sheik was approaching out of the side of her vision, coming to a halt standing in front of her. "I figured you wouldn't know where to find me, so I set out to find you. It wasn't very hard, I have to say. You stick out like a goldfish in a shark pond," he stated, smiling a bit. Zelda tried to return the smile, but it was shaky.

"Is it really that bad?" she asked, feeling a little hurt and depressed, not to mention a bit dizzy. Sheik watched her expressions, and her face paled a bit. The ship's rocking was a little strong today.

"Uh oh…" he murmured quietly, able to spot the signs of seasickness early. "Are you feeling alright?" She was starting to look a little green and gagged a bit, slumping her posture, her feet rocking regardless of her will. Sheik's eyes widened and he grabbed her arm, pulling her to the side of the ship. She bent over the railing to empty her stomach.

"So much for…" she had to pause and lean over the ship again to dry heave. "For...me being a pirate," she murmured, groaning weakly. Some of the men began to laugh at her, but a stern glare from Sheik silenced them.

"You'll get used to it. It only takes a day or two." He rubbed her back a bit to ease the sickness, feeling a little awkward as he did. He hadn't touched a woman for some time. Zelda smiled, and turned around.

"That felt good…the rubbing. I feel better now."

"Maybe you should wait until dinner tonight to try and eat something. Better to play it safe than to be sorry." He stared at her. "Come here, I'll introduce you to someone who can teach you an easy job. Keep you busy and keep the Captain off your back." He led her over to a huge pirate, burly and muscular. She recognized him from last night, when the two pirates had cornered her. She hid behind Sheik.

"This is Zelda, the new pirate," Sheik stated, smiling beneath his covering. "The captain told me to have her report to you for her breaking in," he chuckled softly. "Be gentle with her, won't you? I'll be watching to be sure she's treated fairly."

Zelda tried to stammer as Sheik walked away, meeting the giant man's grin with a smile of her own. "I guess it's up to me to show you how things work around here! The name's Dondollo. Won't bother making you call me sir."

Zelda frowned. "I know who you are."

Dondollo winced and gave a sort of forced chuckle. "Sorry about last night, mate, it's just been a long time since we've seen any women, and well, we get restless. There are more than a handful of scurvy dogs on this ship, I assure you!" He gestured. "But as long as you're friends with Sheik, you don't have to worry about nothing. You'll make more friends in no time. Like these two, mop and bucket." He tossed the two items at her feet. "Easy work to get you started. The Captain wants the deck scrubbed spotless before the end of the week… you'd better get goin now to meet the deadline."

Zelda's mouth dropped open in shock, fumbling to pick the mop and bucket up among the rocking of the ship. They thought she was going to scrub for them? Did they think she couldn't do it? Well, she would show them a thing or two! As the hour wore on, she mopped and rubbed in futility, putting all her effort into it. She soon saw that it was not as easy as the servants at her old home had made it look. By the time she finished scrubbing, polishing, and cleaning the deck; her hands were wrinkled and blistered. She strolled up proudly to Dondollo, tapping him on the shoulder. "Finished!" she stated, overflowing with pride, gesturing back towards her work.

Donodollo laughed heartily as he looked over her gesture. "You aren't even close to finishing, mate." he pointed towards the rest of the ship. "You've barely begun!" he guffawed, slapping her on the back in a friendly gesture. "Get going! You've got a lot of work to do yet!" Zelda gaped in exasperation. The captain wanted her to do the entire ship? That would take hours! She sighed loudly, and began working on the rest of the ship, all her pride gone.

Link watched her out of the corner of his eye from the helm. He saw her wince, and pull her hand back. A tiny bit of red dripped onto the deck from an open blister on her dainty hand. Sheik approached his captain tentatively. "You know, there's only one other person who has ever completed the whole thing before dark, but she's getting close."

Link didn't look at Sheik, speaking softly. "I know that. I'm not blind." He stared at her with amusement in his eyes, reverence to see her work so hard with so much determination. "She will make a good pirate."

"Just like someone else did…she's almost finished." Sheik was surprised. Sure enough, as soon as he had finished speaking, Zelda had stood up and gone looking for Dondollo. Link watched as Dondollo pointed Zelda in her next direction. He leaned against the crow's nest; somehow he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sheik, go and take control of the helm. Steer us north, keep for the bearing of Hyrule, but don't keep the course straightaway yet. I have a feeling there's plunder ahead." He shut his eyes, resting, wondering how Kael would react to Zelda, wondering if it would be the same for her as it had been for... The next thing Zelda knew, she was facing a young man just a few years older than Link himself, brown shaggy hair tied back in a ponytail and five oclock shadow running over his chin and cheeks.

"So…you're sent to me, eh?" Kael asked, surveying Zelda as if she were a slave on the market. "I suppose I can show you a few things about tying ropes, they are my specialty, you know." He led her over to the edge of the boat, holding up a loose end of a rope. "Now, watch and repeat." He ordered. Zelda only partly saw the movements to tie the rope; she didn't even catch half of the loops he reported. He handed the rope to her after undoing the amazing slipknot. "Your turn," he stated. "Just follow what I did."

Zelda tried. Unfortunately, she had no idea how to tie a knot, much less a slipknot. When she ended up tangling her own fingers, she held up her hands sheepishly. "How's this?" she lamely asked. Kael sighed.

"No." He untangled her fingers with a smirk. "Do it again," he ordered. Zelda spent the rest of that day memorizing how to tie all sorts of knots and bows with rope. By the end of the lesson, her hands were rubbed raw and several more fingers were blistering. Her nails were broken and chipped. She stifled a few tears. Kael noticed. "None of that blubbering now, dearie. Don't you worry. Your hands will be thick as a clam shell in a few days." He smiled, patting her on the back, exposing his own hands with a texture of roughness like sandpaper. "Well, you'd better report to your next lesson then, I believe someone wants to teach you how to cook proper!"

Zelda wandered the deck aimlessly before meeting with her final lesson that day, because it was almost time for the captain's dinner and she couldn't be taught anything in the dark. She was thankful it was the last lesson. At first she couldn't see her teacher, but she knew who it was. "Sheik!" she squealed. She knew he would be gentle and patient. He stepped out of the shadows.

"Hello, Zelda, ready for your lesson?" he asked, leading her down into the kitchen. "It's time I taught you just how to cook." He grinned. "Now, take another fish. Let's do this right and make the Captain pleased tonight." Zelda was nervous, but agreed. Sheik took the time before letting her cook to wash her hands and bandage them up. He held up his own hands, which were covered with nicks and scars. "See? Tisn't shame in having marks like this on your skin, shows you things you need to remember, shows you what's happened in life." He walked over to the chest where the fish were kept, tossing her a knife. "Kill one," he stated.

All Zelda could think was, _If theres no shame in having scars… why do you wear bandages over your face?_ But she chose not to bring it up now. "Alright," she shakily replied, choosing one and listening as Sheik instructed her. She found she was actually enjoying his company. Her heart swelled when she served the captain his dinner that night.

Link lifted the fish to his lips, very hesitant. He cautiously took a bite, and chewed. It was quite good. He even managed a nod. "Not bad," he stated, although it was the best thing he had to eat in months. Pirates didn't know a lick about cooking, and to his bad luck, nor did anyone he shanghaied. He'd even had to go so far as to appoint a food tester to be sure the food was not poisoned. She smiled at him, her heart warming towards him just a tiny bit.

Zelda escaped from the galley as soon as she could. She knew almost half of the crew now. It helped to ease her pain just a bit. In a way, although she hated to mention it, there was a kind of comfort in their presence, like a ragtag family. She sat on a crate next to the starboard side of the ship. She breathed in the quiet cool air of the night, flexing her tired hands painfully. She heard footsteps coming her way and smiled, closing her eyes, assuming it to be her only friend. "Sheik, I think the captain liked his food. Thanks for helping."

A familiar voice caused her blood to run cold. "It's not Sheik." She whirled around to find herself staring into the captain's steel ice blue irises. "I was wondering why it seemed to taste so good tonight… And I didn't say it was good. I said it wasn't bad."

"But… you just said it was good!" She brightened. "That's what you said! You said 'I was wondering why it seemed to taste so good!'" Having caught him in his own words, she smiled, but when he did not return the smile, she gazed out to sea. "What do you want? Did I do something wrong?"

"You never did a lesson with me," he stated quietly. "It's my turn to teach you something." Zelda winced visibly. What did he want to teach her? Whatever it was it must be painful or impossible.

"What could you possibly want to teach me?" she asked angrily. She stared at the sky, unable to even look at him in her memory of what he'd done with her father's ship. "How to kill women and children?" She stopped herself. Perhaps that was going too far…

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" he asked softly, sitting beside her, ignoring her comment. Zelda was puzzled.

"What are?" she asked, bewildered at his sudden change of attitude.

"The stars," he stated in a gruff, but almost reverent voice. "Sometimes I come out here just to gaze at them all night, when things are quiet." Zelda felt her anger melting away, replaced by puzzlement and tension. "This is my lesson." He stated, pointing. "You see, when we're out here all alone, we use the stars to guide us." He pulled an old rusty compass out of his clothes pocket. "These things don't always work. You should know the star navigations. Now…that star right there, the North Star, or Polaris. That's our current guide." He put the compass away.

"That one?" Zelda pointed to a bright star in the distance. "Is that the North Star?" At that moment, a sudden heave from the ship caused her pointing hand to falter.

"No, Zelda. That's the moon." Link stated, having to keep a chuckle down. Zelda frowned.

"I didn't mean to point at the moon…I was pointing at that one." Link shook his head. Zelda continued pointing, refusing Link's help to find the star, until he finally lost his patience, grabbing her arm with his and holding her hand with his hand. He directed her towards it, pulling her hand close to where he was pointing.

"That one right there! That's the North Star!" It took him a second, but he realized how close he was to her cheek, so close he could almost feel her, and he released his grip.

Zelda didn't notice, and pulled away as she crossed her arms in a huff. "I'm going to bed!" she announced, and turned on her heel, storming towards his quarters.

"Are they hurt?" a murmur reached her sensitive ears. She turned around, confused. She had never heard him speak quietly like that before.

"Are what hurt?" she looked at him. For just a moment, he looked so sad and desperate. She almost felt her heart reaching out to him. She'd never seen him that way before.

"Your hands. Do they hurt… bad?" he asked, his eyes taking on a soft texture in the moonlight. "You worked hard. Can't have my pirates taking too bad of damage." Zelda blushed visibly, quickly trying to hide it.

"I'm fine." She rubbed them carefully, staring down at them.

"You can go." Zelda gave a short nod and hurriedly left his presence, eating the food in his room as if she had never eaten before, her stomach settled and used to the rocking of the ship. She fell asleep almost immediately in his bed once more, wearing the same nightgown, her full stomach helping her relax.

Link stared at the stars, angry at himself and angry at Zelda. The girl brought memories to the surface he'd never planned to think of again. They were slowly killing him, and yet, they kept the nightmares at bay. He'd been too vigilant, too long without real rest. Watching the waves, he began to feel his vision ebb with them. He kept staring, knowing his exhaustion was working against him, even as he slumped away into someone else's grip.

Sheik approached his captain, and picked him up using all his strength, supporting him with one arm looped around his neck. He limped with him to the cabin, and set the captain on his bed, being careful not to wake Zelda. "Captain…" he whispered, as Link awoke from the brief blackout, "you can't keep doing this to yourself."

Link looked to Sheik, quiet before replying, his tone the same harsh one as always. "Get out. When I want your opinion I will ask you for it."

"As you wish…captain." Sheik shut the door behind him, wincing as he did and the wood creaked. Link had not always been like this, and he had to admit to himself he'd hoped… maybe by bringing the girl aboard…

Link watched the door close and sighed, not bothering to change his clothes. He drifted into a long, troubled sleep, playing with his ring.


	8. Raging Fever

Zelda's eyelids fluttered open slowly. Link wasn't in the room. That wasn't unusual, but she was still curious. She went out on deck and tried to find him, but still she could not see Link. Sheik greeted her reported to him without being told. Link was nowhere to be seen. Sheik sent her to do her regular chores, which seemed to be mopping and washing dishes. It was many hours before she finished. She was a hard worker, but the work continued to pile up as she worried about Link. After finishing, she returned to the deck, where a strong breeze lifted her spirits and billowed her hair behind her. The sun had already lowered quite a bit, so it looked to be late into the afternoon.

Link leaned against a mast in the shadows nearby, watching Zelda's figure glow in the orange sun's light. The blend of the red hues reflecting off of the waves seemed to calm everyone. She smiled, making Link catch his breath and unconsciously clutch his chest, tugging at his shirt uncomfortably. He swallowed hard, knowing he couldn't handle it.

Sheik walked over to his captain, a knowing smile on his face. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked. The sunset at sea did not compare to any other of nature's wonders, though they'd seen it many times before.

Link continued to watch Zelda, his tone soft, a whisper hardly heard. "Yes…beautiful." He said softly.

Sheik smiled. At least the captain's moods still improved by watching the sea. Before he had a chance to speak to his superior, Link had moved away.

Only a glimmer of light still danced on the waves as the sun quickly sank into the sea. It was after dinner when she returned to the captain's chambers. She hadn't seen the captain once all day. The captain's trunk, where he'd removed her nightgown, was open a crack. She'd never seen it open. Her curiosity rose within her, and she knelt by it. Creaking it upwards, she removed some clothing articles, a toy wooden sword, and a locket, empty of a picture. A few pieces of jewelry, which had lost their luster long ago, were next. Then, finally, an old picture frame came from the bottom, and a leather-bound book. The picture frame was far too dirty to see anything out of, in fact, she could barely distinguish the figures as people, even with blowing and rubbing at the glass. It needed cleaning sorely.

She inspected the book as she put the rest back, flipping it open to stop on a page.

_January 5th, Year 1_

_I picked up a nice plate today. It was studded with jewels and had a very nice shine to it. It'll sell good. I wonder when those wedding ships will learn to stay off these seas. It doesn't matter. I will teach them to stay off. I try to forget, but it still won't stop hurting. _

Zelda felt her conscience begin to prod her. It was the captain's journal. She pushed the guilt down and opened the diary to another page. She wanted to be in his mind. She wanted to see what he saw.

_March 17th, Year 1_

_There's a strange breeze blowing today. I wonder where I should steer us. I have no idea. But I can't let them know that. I have to be strong. I'll keep my vows. I still see you almost every night, but it's horrible, it's a nightmare. What do I have to do to get a good night's sleep? _

Zelda snapped out of her trance to hear a harsh breathing. She looked up from the book to see the captain glaring at her, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. Zelda gulped down a small lump in her throat.

"What do you think you're doing?" his voice was strangely quiet, ground out between his teeth.

"This isn't what it looks like." She tried in vain to find some way of justifying herself, shutting the book and fumbling to put it down.

"What is it, then?" He noticed her shaky hands holding his journal. His eyes flashed, and he lunged forward, roughly yanking it out of her hands. He was overwhelmed. He closed his eyes, turning away from her frightened expression.

"I didn't read much of it…" she stammered, before shutting her mouth.

"Get out." he whispered, clutching the journal close to his heart, hearing his rapid pulse pounding in his head. _She read my journal. She knows the truth. She knows I never wanted this. She'll tell. She'll tell everyone. Oh, Goddesses, what am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do? _

"What did you say?" she mumbled faintly. She had a feeling it wasn't good. She was so nervous; her whole body was noticeably shaking now.

"Get out!" he screamed through clenched teeth, throwing whatever was near at her. "Get out now!" She dodged a crystal platter, which promptly shattered on the wall.

Zelda threw open the door and ran to the opposite side of the ship. She didn't dare to go close to his room the rest of the night and finally drifted to sleep curled in a corner of the ship with a blanket pulled around her. This continued for a few days, Zelda ever wary of the captain's presence. He barely spoke to anyone and was rarely seen, even by those who knew him best. Zelda stayed close to Sheik, considering it wise to be close to a friend. She finally ventured up the courage to ask about the journal. Sheik turned towards her, pulling a rope, heaving a bit as he replied.

"Journal? What journal?" he asked.

Zelda sighed inwardly. "The journal in the captain's room." It was a good thing she had decided to help him pull the rope because at that moment he dropped it in shock. She grunted, holding it with all her strength. Sheik quickly recovered and grabbed the rope again in enough time to keep it from falling. He was silent for a moment, before talking in a hushed tone.

"It's a penalty of death to read his journal. What did you read?" He was surprised Zelda was still alive. Suddenly, a ray of sunshine enveloped her, shimmering along her golden hair. Sheik blinked a few times, cocking his head. No…he looked at her closer, understanding smoothing over his puzzlement. So that's it…he knew.

"I only read two entries. Something about a plate and wind," she stammered. She shrugged awkwardly. "It seemed like he was writing to someone, but it was nothing important. I just don't see why he was so upset."

Sheik was quiet again. He looked out to sea pensively and frowned as if sensing some impending doom.

More days passed as Zelda continued to avoid Link, bunking with Sheik and the other pirates, who now seemed to accept her and even feel sorry for her at times. She looked upon all of them with a surprising faint sense of fondness beginning to stir in her heart. She may not have agreed with the way they did things, but familiarity soon overtook disagreement.

Days flew by, each just as slow and routine as the next. Yet, recently, something seemed just out of order, like an orange in a barrel of apples. She couldn't figure it out, but there was a palpable feeling of tension in the air, and it bothered her. Everywhere she turned, she heard grumbles, curses, and angry tones. She was just minding her own business, mopping as usual, when she noticed Kael and Dondollo. Usually, these two were best friends, often seen together when they ate or played the odd games to occupy their off time…she stopped mopping. Everyone seemed so antsy and nervous.

"If you don't admit you took it, I'll take this blade and skin you from nose to navel, and I won't go quick-like." Dondollo murmured, a dull shimmering blade clenched in his fist.

"Just try it. You see how far you get." Kael's eyes snapped, a rope in hand, clenched equally hard. Zelda stepped forward uneasily.

"Hey, what's going on here?" she asked, hoping to soothe over the tension.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I know for a fact Kael here stole from my personal stash of rum." Dondollo refused to take his eyes off of the man.

"Nonsense! I never touched it! Why'd I want a thing that's been in your grubby hands?" Kinru swung the rope from side to side gently, a deadly motion with his eyes fixed on the man's neck.

Zelda was bewildered. What was going on? They were arguing like children over a toy, just because of some stupid stash of alcohol? She couldn't react fast enough to stop what happened next. The larger man lunged at his opponent and took Kael down to the deck of the Wolfos with a smash, knocking the air out of his opponent. Acting quickly, Kael slid his rope around his larger opponent's neck and tightened. Dondollo began to thrash like a fish out of water, which Zelda had seen many times before now, and clawed at the obstacle belaying his breathing.

If not for the sudden appearance of Sheik, the two might have killed one another. He lunged between them and threw Dondollo off of Kael, hauling the thinner man up by his collar. "Are you two daft? You know the captain's penalty for brawling! Do you want him to come down on us?" he yelled.

Zelda put her hand timidly on Sheik's shoulder. He shook it off immediately, eyes snapping to her. "Don't touch me! And get back to your mopping!" he shouted. Zelda drew back with a hurt expression, stunned by his tone. Sheik had never spoken like that with her before. She cocked her head, suddenly realizing what was different about the environment. There was no wind. There hadn't been for days. Not even a breeze fluttered the masts. She'd heard tales of sailors going crazy with some kind of mental madness… what had it been called? Cabin fever?

"Sheik, tell me the truth, what's going on?" she asked. Before he could reply, Garth appeared behind him, and lunged to seize the opportunity. Sheik countered with a shift of his body weight, throwing the man to the deck, and a large scuffle began. A crowd formed and some joined in without cause at all, a brawl of biting, cursing, punching, and kicking.

From the shadows of the ship, Link watched the madness unfold. He sighed inwardly and debated about the best way to handle it. He had been expecting this to happen, right after Farore had lost her favor with them. The madness had come, but it was not too late, and not exceedingly violent yet. After all, no one was dead. Still, he would hate to lose a part of his crew, and the fighting had to stop. He reached into his pocket and fished a small ocarina, just something he'd picked up in his spare time and learned to play very well. He lifted it to his lips, and began to play a haunting melody, loud enough so that everyone around him would hear. He closed his eyes and let the lilting notes carry through the night.

Zelda was desperate to stop the fighting. She didn't know what she could do apart from stand and watch, but perhaps if she got their attention. She'd have to do something they weren't expecting. She took a deep breath, and out of pure desperation, began to sing. One by one, all of the pirates halted what they were doing, some out of confusion, and some out of reverence. Not one of them dared to move for fear of breaking the spell. They'd heard the captain play before, and it was true the man carried talent in his way of handling the instrument, but it was Zelda who carried the real mystique among the duet. Although the songs were not the same, for those succumbing to the cabin fever, it seemed both of them were in perfect harmony, Link's flute carried the soft, sweet melody, and Zelda's harmonious crooning melded into it just enough to stop the fighting.

"She's a siren," Sheik breathed.

"_When you're lost, and feel like you're falling, never give up, I'll show you the way, I'll be right here, waiting each day… Never forget, always remember, never forget, your heart knows the way, never forget, and I will find you, never forget my love…"_

It was a silly tune, a tune she could barely remember learning, or perhaps making up, as a child. She began to repeat it, noticing the fighting had stopped. Had she really helped? She had no idea the impact of her sweet, feminine voice on the men. The night seemed almost like a black hole, that swallowed all reality except her voice and Link's song.

Zelda and Link both closed their eyes, each to study the other's art. Link let his thoughts drift as he drew out the last notes. _Farore… hear me… take this ship to Hyrule. Take me there on your wing. I beg of you, give me your favor. _

The stars seemed to pierce the night, shining for all they were worth. Then, as if by magic, a gentle breeze began to stir the sails.

Sheik walked over to the two as if in a trance, still hardly daring to breathe, much less speak.

Link was the first to open his eyes. She had heard him. Farore had listened. He blinked and shifted his gaze to Zelda, staring at her. She returned his stare. He cleared his throat and turned to the men.

"We have wind! The fever is gone!" he shouted. Everyone cheered. Zelda turned to Sheik, questioning him with her eyes.

"Cabin fever." Sheik stated. "I'm sorry about the yelling. Tempers get short when the wind stops and cabin fever arrives. We might have done worse had you not stepped in with that voice of yours… what a set of pipes you have… "

"Cabin fever?" she asked lamely. She was bewildered and embarrassed, cheeks going pink. Sheik smiled in a knowing manner.

"It's over now." The breeze waved a few locks of his bright blonde hair about his gentle red eyes. "Like the captain said, we've got wind." He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Thank you."

The ship cut neatly through the water on the breeze as everyone retired to get a well-deserved rest. There was no sound of water rippling; all was silent. The night was still, and there was no one else on deck besides those required. No one, that is, but Link. He walked casually over to Zelda, watching her bent over the side of the rails, gazing at the stars. But for her singing coupled with his playing, Farore might not have blessed them so. The least he could do was give her some thanks. His voice resounded through the night air. "Your singing isn't as bad as your cooking."

"Would it kill you to compliment someone sincerely?" she asked, as a bit of annoyance rolled off of her tongue.

"Possibly, yes." Link stated, his large blue orbs sparkling with a very rare sign of playfulness, approaching her.

"Nevermind." Zelda muttered, unamused and unwavering from her spot.

"I came to tell you that you can sleep in my quarters again." He was silent for a moment. "Just don't look through my things again. I won't spare your life twice." He began to walk away.

"Wait, Captain!" Zelda cried out. Link stopped, and looked over his shoulder, meeting her gaze. "Thank you." Her lips parted to give him a smile, her breath coming in short puffs of air in the cold chill. Link almost smiled in return, but caught himself and waved a hand dismissively, returning to his cabin. He sat down on his bed, burying his head in his hands and glancing to his hand. He looked at his ring, and clenched it among a fist. Never take it off…words began to encircle his mind. Promise me…Memories began to unearth themselves. He shook his head, pushing them back down, harder and deeper than before. Hyrule was only a few days away now. He would arrive there soon. What would happen to the girl then?

Zelda came into his room later that night, finding him asleep, his arm hanging off the edge of the bed, looking worse for wear. She paused, tucked his arm in among the sheets, and crawled over him, falling asleep touching his side.


End file.
